1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to printing techniques.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, as typified by the Zeroconf of the Macintosh (a series of personal computers of the Apple Computer Corporation), a function is known that obtains the option configuration information of a printer through bidirectional communications by simply connecting the printer and a personal computer (PC) using a communication cable, and automatically sets up a condition where printing is ready. PS Query and AutoSetupTool are examples of functions (tools) that automatically obtain and set the option configuration information of a printer at the time of creating a print queue (data that manages the condition of a job and the like on a printer basis).
Also known is a function that obtains supply information such as the amount of remaining toner based on SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and displays the supply information using the display function of an operating system (OS) or an application. As functions (tools) for obtaining the supply information of a printer, snmpInk, which is a Mac OS standard program, and a vendor-created CommandFileFilter are known.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-252785 discloses an image printing system that makes it possible to reduce a load on a manager by automating a configuration data obtaining tool in a client-server system.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2010-198367 discloses a technique that makes it possible to cause the device information of a communication device, which the communications device returns in response to a request to obtain the device information from an apparatus that creates an on-demand driver that drives the communications device, to be updated from outside the communication device or automatically updated inside the communication device.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2005-25755 discloses a configuration such as “a system for automatic configuration upon installation of a network printer associated with a printer description file, a driver, a spooler, and a port monitor, wherein the system includes a bidirectional application program interface associated with the spooler for allowing the driver to generate a bidirectional request and a bidirectional response, a syntax within the printer description file for representing and associating the bidirectional request and the bidirectional response with a print feature, extension files stored in the driver for relating bidirectional values and printer values, and a notification infrastructure controlled by the port monitor for providing a bidirectional notification of configuration changes to the driver and selected applications, in order to bidirectionally obtain option configuration information after the installation of a driver and reflect the obtained option configuration information in the print feature of the driver as the automatic reflection of option configuration information through so-called Windows (registered trademark) bidirectional communications.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2006-127218 discloses a technique for installing driver software, which obtains option configuration information and resource information from a desired printer and writes the obtained information to the driver software at the time of its installation.